The dictionary defines it as:
willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas.
a supporter of policies that are socially progressive and promote social welfare.
relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.
Where the hell does your definition come from?
The third one, but its actually practiced and emphasized in liberal democracies, which is beyond the scope of what dictionary can cover.
The Wikipedia is going to be the resource you want to use for something like this, not a dictionary.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism
Modern political liberalism finds its roots in many threads of thought through out history, but its current form is based largely out of the political movements of the late 1700's. The Declaration of Independence, Adam Smiths Wealth of Nations, and even later works like John Stuart Mill's Principles would be considered foundational to modern liberalism. Its important to note that this nascent liberalism left out many classes of people from the definition of, you know, people. Specifically, women, first Nations peoples, Africans, etc, were not afforded the freedoms and liberties espoused in documents like the US Constitution or Declaration of Independence. This is important to note, because its a common thread throughout the evolution of liberalism into its current form, that in practice, it makes an effort to split and qualify individuals (as opposed to pursuing universality in its policies). Liberalism is fundamentally about the definition of liberties, and the protection of those liberties from the government. Not just individual liberties like voting, but also property rights, rights of free association, rights of participation, etc. Its incredibly important, however, to point out the massive blind-spots this political philosophy had towards the 'others' in society. This aspect of liberalism is just as foundational as its aspirational goals of liberty.
I think its pretty safe to argue that liberalism is the foundational political identity of the American body politic, in that it underpins both Conservatism (as foil, and thus in turn helps define neoconservatism) and Neoliberalism. American Conservatism is Luigi to American Liberalisms Mario, while Neo-conservatism and Neo-liberalism are Waluigi and Wario, respectively. Liberalism is the main character, and these other works exist almost exclusively through contrast or opposition.
I think the meme actually makes a good point. But knee-jerk liberals on Lemmy can't hang.
So not true liberalism, but "neo-liberalism." Much like how the Nazi party was "socialist."
Neoliberalism is just how social studies people call contemporary liberalism.
In politics and economics, this is what most people will understand as “liberal”. Not just some vague references to liberty like the dictionary meaning, neither classical liberalism from the 1850’s.
Lol. Joe biden is a neoliberal. Hillary clinton is a neoliberal. Al gore, Bill clinton, Barack obama. All neoliberal. No leftist who is anticapitalist (as they should be) will call themselves liberal. That's just some america-brained shit.
Its ridiculous to suggest that neo-liberalism isn't a direct philosophical extension of liberalism.
Neoliberalism just focuses on some specifics of liberalism like open markets and property rights, which were already things that traditional liberalism espoused. Its the defacto philosophy of the American body politic after WW2. Things like the IMF, the world bank, the UN, central banks like the federal reserve, the use of rates to manage economies; these are very neoliberal concepts and institutions.
I think its fine to interchange liberalism and neoliberalism in modern parlance, because they are basically indistinguishable as practiced.
Who cares? Hanging out in weird niche communities having a circle jerk about who the "true" leftists are is no better than being a liberal. Buncha feel good crap that accomplishes nothing.
lol, it's like MAGAs vs Republicans
It's not a circle jerk, but the collective realization of who the genocides and apartheid enthusiasts are in our government, and how intrinsically it's the political ideology that tried to destroy representative democracy and not uphold it.
Republicans are classical liberals, democrats are neo-liberals, the tories in England, Macrons government, etc.
Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Raegen were liberals.
The CIA was invented by liberals.
It's not a circle jerk, but a realization of why the power structure and institutions need to be replaced with something left wing, for once.
And yet I have never seen anyone on Lemmy actually ever suggest doing anything. Its all just self congratulatory moralizing and zero action. A great big ol' circle jerk.
What do you expect people to do, provide you with a manifesto? End every post with a signature, calling to arms? Maybe promote violent revolution? Gtfo here with that attitude, kid. You're a circlejerk of one, i.e you're just jerkin yourself off.
Excuses, excuses. Nobody's organizing, nobody's talking about helping their communities, nobody's doing anything. This whole platform is just a bunch of terminally online losers making excuses for why they're the only good people even though they've never done anything useful in their entire lives. I don't care what you do, but do SOMETHING. Even if it's just talking to you neighbors to see what would make the place you live a better one for the people who live there. Make the world a better place, don't just wait for someone else to fix it for you.
Great. Now delete your account and never come back. That will surely show us losers. I mean it is actively doing something.
Also, it's not one platform, but a network of platforms.
Also, I work in my community to help people directly as a techie and youth worker. Wtf do you do? Like besides bitching about stuff not being done on a social network.
Haha, sure dude. Deleting a social media account is making the world a better place, but cause that's what I meant by doing something. You're just being pedantic and completely missing the point on purpose now.
As for what I do, sadly its not really anything anymore. My health problems have gotten pretty severe to the point that I can't do any of the things I used to. I really have found my people here in this sad useless little corner of the internet. Even if you are doing something useful with your life its despite spending your time in this sad little circle jerk, not because of it. Nobody ever advocates for that here, this is just a "network of platforms" full of arrogant internet douchebagery masquerading as leftist.
I see, so you're a "cynic tied to a wheelchair". Figures. Had some friends like that. It sucks balls.
In any case, your helplessness and attitude regarding the left is just a response to your condition.
You believing people don't do anything is just a projection of your depression manifest. It's understandable though.
In the end, detaching the old world from the new is a process that will take centuries. It's nothing we can rush, unfortunately. That's why neo-liberals and classical liberals still have a tinge of nationalism (hello EU/US emperialism).
But on here? This isn't a political platform, but a social platform. A digital forum more or less. Believing any actual change can be made here is a bit naive. This is a place people come to relax, learn, and like you and me: to vent.
If you want to be apart of the change, remember that left wing is inherently social. Try finding local engagements and partaking in that. In the end, leftism requires direct participation, where as rightism is all about isolation.
I wish you well.
It matters because liberalism is inherently supportive of capitalism, a force of unchecked destruction that is incredibly harmful to the working class and indeed the entire world. To fight this requires you to reject liberalism. There is no other way. Any time you see 'leftist' you can just sub in 'anti-capitalist' if that's something you're more familiar with.
If we're both going the same direction from the current state of things, then it does not matter yet. Liberals are not happy with how conservative things are right now, so we have ground we can cover together. Cover that ground, then start fighting them
Ahh, more No True Scottsmen bullshit.